Supply holder



May 1,1945. u H. ALFANDRE 2,374,717

SUPPLY HOLDER 'Filed sept. 3, 1943 Gtorneg Patented May 1, 1945 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE l SUPPLY HOLDER Harry Alfandre, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application September 3, 1943, Serial No. 501,055l

01. al1- 51) v Claims.

This invention relates to supply holders for elements which aredelivered therefrom.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a supplyholder with improved spring operated means for resiliently pressing the`elements in the holder toward the delivery end thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a supply holderhaving a spring operated follower with means for mounting the spring insuch relation to the holder as to permit the provision of a spring ofproper length for exerting the necessary force on the follower withoutcorrespondingly increasing the length of the elementcontainer of theholder. i

In the conventional supply holder provided with a spring operatedfollower, the spring is positioned Within the element-container of theholder and must be removed from the latter when it is necessary toreplenish said container with the elements to be delivered therefrom. Inaccordance with the present invention the supply holder isv soconstructed that the spring which operates the follower is locatedexternally of the container in such position that said spring does notinterfere with the loading of the container. tutes another object of theinvention. Further, by virtue of this arrangement it is unnecessary toprovide the container of the supply holder with a closure with which theconventional supply holders are usually provided. The elimination ofsuch closure constitutes yet another object of the present invention.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a supply holder whichis so constructed that the quantity of elements in the contain-er of theholder can be readily ascertained by direct observation of the elementsin the container of the holder.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this inventionwill be fully understood from the following description considered inconnectionwith the accompanying illustrative drawing of the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of asupply holder embodying the present invention, showing the springoperated follower-in operative position;

Figure 2 is a side view, in elevation, of the supply holder, the springoperated kfollower being retracted from the element container; l

IFigure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 and show- This constipositionand also in a position out of registry with Figure 5 is a side View inelevation taken at right angles to Figure 1, looking from the left ofthe latter, with parts omitted for the purposes of illustration;

Figures 6, 7 Yand 8 are sectional -views taken along the lines 6 6, 1l,8--8 respectively of Figure 5; and

Figure 9 is a view of the delivery end of the supply holder.

The supply holder embodying the present invention is intended primarilyfor use in strap and buckle assembly apparatus such as that disclosed inUnitedStates Letters Patent 2,091,176 granted to me .August 24, 1937,although it will be understood thatv the present invention may beapplied to supply holders for elements other than buckles. In themachine shown by said patent, the upper holder for the buckles isprovided with a follower which is gravity operated, while the lowerholder for the buckles is provided with a springoperated follower whichmoves the buckles upwardly toward .the delivery end of the holder. Inaccordance with the present invention the upper supply holder as well asthe` lower holder for'the buckles is provided with a spring operatedfollower. In

the accompanying drawing herein I have illusi trated my invention `asapplied tothe upper holder, but it will be understood that in accord-` Yhere shown as a longitudinal metal tube of rectangular cross section,within which a plurality of buckles or other elements E are positionedin stacked relation, the size and shape of the tube being suchinrelation to the size and shape of the elements as to hold the latter inalignment, and when necessary, to prevent the elements from turning inthe tube.' tube has inturned edges l2 whichlimit the movement of thebuckles longitudinally of the tube at ing the spring operated followerin a retracted the delivery end thereof, but which permit 4the Thedelivery end yof the buckles to be dispensed in any suitable way, forexample, by the ejecting device shown in my above mentioned patent,which moves the buckles one at a time, laterally through the deliveryopening I4. As illustrated in Figure l, the end I6 of tube II) oppositethe delivery end thereof is open. The elements within the elementcontainer IU are pressed toward the deliveryend of the container againstthe inturned edges l2 by a spring operated follower I8 which, in theoperative condition of said follower ismovable longitudinally ofcontainer I `having a sliding but non-rotary iit in said container. Ashere shown, said follower comprises ametal rod of rectangular crosssection. Said follower I8 is operated or springprojected by thecompression spring 20.- As

shown in the drawing, spring is located eX-.

ternally of the container I0 laterally thereof, and v is held againstlateral movement by a rod 22 disf lation thereto. Opening 34 isthreaded, as shown' in Figure l, for engagement by the threaded endportion 36 of rod 22. The other end fof rod'22 is provided with ascrew-driverrslot. Sp'ring 20 bears at one end thereof against endportion 2B of bracket 24V and at its opposite end against a member 40which has a sliding and turning t 0n rod 2v2. Follower I8 is connectedtomember 48 by a pin 42 which is fixed to said follower andto saidmember, saidpin projecting through and movable in a longitudinal slot44providedV in bracket 24 and a longitudinal slot 46 provided in sidewall 26 of container I0 in registry with said slot 44 of the bracket.Bracket 24 and rod 22` which are mounted externally of the containerlaterally thereof thus constitutes means for mounting spring 20inoperative relation Vtothe followerl8.

When the follower is moved from a projected position within container I0(Fig. l) to ,a retracted position out of saidA container (Fig. .2). thefollower I8 can be moved out of registry with the supply end I6 of thecontainer and .thereafter moved to the projected inoperative positionillustrated in Figure 4. When the follower is 4in the positionillustrated in Figure 4, the buckles or, other elements can be placedywithin the container through said supply end i I6 thereof withoutinterference by the follower. In this connection it will be noted thatitis unnecessary to prounderstood that the latter may be embodiedotherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and thatin the embodiment disclosed herein certain changes in the details ofconstruction and in the arrangement 0f parts vmay be made. Also, it willbe understood that delivery end having an opening at which the elementsare dispensed, means for pressingV said elements toward said deliveryvend'comprising' aV follower movable in said container, a rod positionedlaterally of said .container and extending longitudinally thereof, amember slidable lon said rod, a spring surrounding said rod and vbiasingsaid member for movement in one direction, said container having a sidewall provided V-with. a longitudinal slot, and means projecting intosaid container through said slot and connecting` said member to saidfollower for movemet of the latter by said spring toward the delivery'end of' the container, said connecting means being movablelongitudinally of said slot. v

2. In a supply holder comprising a container for a plurality of elementsand provided with a delivery end having an opening at Whichthe elementsare dispensed, means for pressing said elements toward said delivery endcomprising a follower movable in said container, a rod positionedlaterally of said container and extending Y longitudinally thereof, amember slidable and vide the supply end I6 of the containerv IU with aclosure member, regardless of whether rsaid supply end is at the top orbottom of the ,container and that to open the supply end of thecontainer for the insertion of elements therein it is merely necessaryto move the follower out of the container to the laterallydisplacedposition thereof. To permit the lateral or turning movement ofthe follower after the latter is moved to its retracted positionillustrated in Figure 2, the bracket 24 is provided with a portion 48 ofreduced width extending lonigtudinally of` the bracket from the supplyend I6 of the container for a distance somewhat greater than the lengthof the follower I8. i

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be turnable on said rod, a spring surroundingfsaidrod and biasing said member for movement in. one direction, saidcontainer having a side wall provided with a longitudinalslot, and meansprojecting into said container through said slot and connecting saidmember to -said follower @for movement of the latterV by said springtoward the deliveryr end of the container, said connecting means beingmovable longitudinally'ofsaid slot, said follower being'movable toazretracted yposition out of said container and turnable in saidretracted position to a position laterally of said container out ofregistry therewith.

3. In a supply holder comprising a tubular container for the elements tobe dispensed therefrom, said container having a supply end for theinsertion therein of said elements and axdelivery-end having an openingfromV which the elements are dispensed, a follower slidably fitting insaid container for movement longitudinally thereof, a rod mounted inposition laterally` of said container and extending longitudinallythereof, a member slidably and turnably mounted on said rod, a springsurrounding said Vrod and biasing said imember for sliding movement onsaid rod, said tubular container having a longitudinal slot, andv amember movable longitudinally of said slot and'connecting said rstmentioned member to said follower wherebylth'e latter is biased by saidspring for movement in'said container toward said delivery end thereof,said follower being movable to a retractedjposition out of saidcontainer and turnable in' said 're-iv tracted position to a positionlaterally of said container out of registry therewith.

4. In a supply holder comprising a tubular container for the elements tobe dispensed therefrom, said container having a supply end for theinsertion therein of said elements and a delivery end having an openingfrom which the elements are dispensed, a follower slidably fitting insaid container for movement longitudinally thereof, a rod mounted inposition laterally of said container and extending longitudinallythereof, a member slidably mounted on said rod, a spring surroundingsaid rod and biasing said member for sliding movement on said rod, lsaidtubular container having a longitudinal slot, and a member movablelongitudinally of said slot and connecting said first mentioned memberto said follower whereby the latter is biased by said spring formovement in said container toward said delivery end thereof.

5. In a supply holder comprising a tubular container for the elements tobe dispensed therefrom, said container having a supply end for theinsertion therein of said elements and a delivery end having an openingfrom which the elements are dispensed, a follower slidably fitting insaid container for movement longitudinally thereof, a bracket secured tosaid container and projecting longitudinally outwardly beyond saidsupply end, longitudinally spaced parts projecting laterally from saidcontainer and from said bracket in fixed relation thereto, a rod xed insaid parts and extending longitudinally of said container in positionlaterally thereof, a member slidably mounted on said rod, a springsurrounding said rod and biasing said member for sliding movement onsaid rod, said tubular container having a longitudinal slot, and amember movable longitudinally of said slot and connecting said firstmentioned member to said follower whereby the latter is biased by saidspring for movement in said container toward said delivery end thereof.

6. A supply holder comprising a longitudinal container for elements tobe dispensed from an opening at the delivery end thereof, said containerbeing open at its opposite end, a follower slidably movable in saidcontainer and insertable in and removable from said container through.

said open end thereof, spring means positioned externally of saidcontainer and operatively connected to said follower for moving thelatter toward said delivery end of the' container, and means mountingsaid follower for movement about an axis parallel to the longitudinalaxis of said container whereby said follower is movable into and out ofregistry with said open end of said container when removed therefromwhile4 said follower is operatively connected to said spring means.

7. A supply holder comprising a longitudinal container for elements tobe dispensed from an opening at the delivery end thereof, said coni saidopen end of said container when removed therefrom while said follower isoperatively connected to said spring means. y

8. A supply holder comprising a longitudinal container for elements tobe dispensed from an opening at the delivery end thereof, said containerbeing open at its opposite end, a follower slidably movable in saidcontainer and insertable in and removable from said container throughsaid open end thereof, spring means-positioned externally of saidcontainer laterally thereof and operatively connected to said followerfor moving the latter toward said delivery end of the container, meansdisposed externally of said container for mounting said spring inoperative `relation to said follower, and means mounting said followerfor movement about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidcontainer wherebir said follower is movable into and out of registrywith said open end of said container when removed therefrom while saidfollower is operatively connected to said spring means.

9. In a supply holder comprising a container for a plurality of elementsand provided with a delivery end having an opening at which the elementsare dispensed, means for pressing said elements toward said delivery endcomprising a follower movable in said container, arms in fixed nrelation to said container and projecting later'- ally of saidcontainerexternally thereof, a 1ongitudinal rod positioned laterally ofsaid container and removably secured in said arms, and

a helical spring positioned around said rod and operatively connected tosaid follower for moving the latter toward said delivery end of theholder,

said container having an open end through which the elements and thefollower are inserted.

10. In a supply holder comprising a container for a plurality ofelements and provided with` a delivery end having an opening at whichthe elements are dispensed, means for pressing said

